POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino and the Office of Veterans Affairs held the County’s most recent “Honor-A-Veteran” Ceremony today, recognizing the late George Buchanan Ten Eyck, a respected U.S. Navy veteran and beloved City of Poughkeepsie resident. The ceremony, held at the Dutchess County Legislature’s Chambers in Poughkeepsie, was the latest in a series of monthly tributes the County Executive is hosting, honoring the lives of local veterans who have passed away and served the nation with distinction.
Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino said, “Dutchess County’s Honor-A-Veteran program reminds us that the legacy of service does not end with a soldier’s final breath. It lives on in the stories we tell, the gratitude we show and our promise that their sacrifice will never be forgotten. Honoring veterans like George ensures that their courage, love and quiet strength continue to inspire generations to come. We are grateful for George and his service, and Dutchess County will always honor his memory.”
Born on Nov. 29, 1925, Mr. Ten Eyck was born and raised in the City of Poughkeepsie and attended Poughkeepsie High School. An only child who was later blessed with step-siblings, he created his own lasting legacy of more than service and sacrifice to his nation, but also as a devoted husband and loving father of two daughters remembered for his warmth, as well as his strength.
Mr. Ten Eyck served in the Navy from 1943-46, beginning his military career in Gunner’s Mate School at the Sampson U.S. Naval Training Station in Romulus, NY, before boarding the USS LSM (Landing Ship Medium) 33 in San Diego, headed to Pearl Harbor. During World War II, he served bravely as a Gunner's Mate (GM), spending more than 50 harrowing days in Okinawa, a tenure he documented with care in his personal journal, in which he detailed approximately 18 months of his military service.
His diary chronicled his travels, from crossing the equator and quiet birthdays, to the stunning beauty of the Pacific islands and special meals with ice cream. The most vivid entries detailed intense battles near Okinawa, Luzon and Leyte, which described torpedoed ships, suicide bombers, underwater mines, relentless gunfire and transporting cargo and soldiers through smoke and chaos, including 58 straight days of raids in Okinawa. His diary concluded in July 1945, as his ship departed Okinawa for unknown destinations.
Standing 6-foot-6, GM Ten Eyck was an unmistakable figure, especially aboard a U.S. Navy ship. Behind his impressive stature, though, was a man remembered most for his gentle heart, deep kindness and unwavering love of family. Following his military discharge, GM Ten Eyck found peace in the everyday pleasures of life back home in Poughkeepsie, such as maintaining his lawn, taking a dip in the pool, toppling pins at the bowling alley with friends and diving into his love of history.
GM Ten Eyck passed away on Oct. 16, 1959 at the age of 33 at the then-Vassar Brothers Hospital due to a brain abscess caused by the constant noise of the antiaircraft gun he loaded as a sailor.
Office of Veterans Affairs Director Adam Roche said, “George stood tall in stature and even taller in character, a towering presence with a gentle spirit whose legacy was not just written in the battlefields of Okinawa, but in the love he gave his family, the pride he took in Poughkeepsie and the peaceful joy he found in everyday life.”
During today’s ceremony, County Executive Serino and Director Roche and members of the Dutchess County Honor-A-Veteran Committee presented GM Ten Eyck’s family with several honors, including a:
Monthly “Honor-A-Veteran” ceremonies will continue through November, dedicated to honoring deceased veterans for their service to their nation. Nominations continue to be accepted; additional information, including how to nominated a veteran, is available online. Future ceremonies will take place at 9 a.m., on or about the third Thursday of each month.
To be eligible for this initiative, veterans must meet the following criteria:
Family, friends and community members are encouraged to nominate a veteran to be recognized through the “Honor-A-Veteran” initiative. Applications for the program are available online at dutchessny.gov/honoraveteran or in person at the Dutchess County Office of Veterans Affairs, 1335 Route 44 in Pleasant Valley. All submitted applications must be accompanied by a copy of the veteran’s military separation papers (DD-214, WD AGO 53-55, NBG-22 or report of casualty), obituary, and death certificate.
Completed applications can be submitted via email to veterans@dutchessny.gov or returned to the Office of Veterans Affairs in person; members of the Dutchess County Honor-A-Veteran Committee will review each application for consideration. More information is available by calling the County’s Office of Veterans Affairs at 845-486-2060.
